


Laundry Day

by TheRandomPhan



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26844460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRandomPhan/pseuds/TheRandomPhan
Summary: Desiree pulls some holiday tricks and Danny is stuck trying to clean up the aftermath. With his suit in the wash and him being stuck in ghost form, he finds some ghostly twists on some mundane things that make his evening just a slight more enjoyable. The clock is ticking closer to midnight, and Danny has to manage to stay awake so he can change back before his parents get home. (For Ectober 2020 Prompt: Mistake)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 65





	1. Relaxing

**Author's Note:**

> So I didn't start this fic for Ectober, but I don't have anything else for this day so here we go :] Also, it was originally set in December, but I changed it to October so please let me know abt any inconsistencies. (Ch 1 of 2)
> 
> 1/2/21  
> Cleared up some inconsistencies and spelling errors, also changed it to be set in December like I originally intended.

Danny sighed, plopping down on his bed and looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars that were stuck to his ceiling. He'd had a pretty rough day. He had three exams in a row at school, and he was pretty convinced he'd flunked his English one. Writing just wasn't his thing. A cold snap was also going through, causing some snow during the day that admittedly melted as soon as it hit the ground, but it was still there. Then after class, Desiree had decided to have some "fun." With Christmas nearing, wishes were more prevalent than usual. Danny couldn't even count how many times he'd had to stop ghostly heatwaves from starting up because people wished for it to be warmer. Not that Danny didn't like the change, but it became a bit much when it melted his boots to the ground for the fourth time that week.

The most disgusting wish, however, was granted when one little boy wished for a Danny Phantom snowglobe for Christmas. Yeah, guess how that one ended up. Like really, kid, what were you thinking? Danny could practically hear the malicious intent when Desiree turned to face him after the wish was spoken. For whatever reason, she also decided to fill the snowglobe with some kind of goo, a kind that -even after Danny had undone the wish- was still stuck to his clothes. It absolutely refused to come out, to the extent that Danny wouldn't even be surprised if it turned out to be sentient. Even when Danny went intangible or tried to scrub it off in the sink. it stuck like glue. Er- glowing glue that smelled vaguely like a skunk had a kid with the taste of a lemon. And also had an affair with a jug of spoiled milk. Overall not a very pleasant experience. Danny almost felt sorry for the lab washing machine he put the suit in.

And so there Danny laid in ghost form, sprawled out on his bed as his suit went through the wash. He'd specifically put it in the washing machine his parents used for their suits. It was made to get ectoplasm out so he desperately hoped it would do the job on the goo. For now, though, Danny was dressed in a dark red, long-sleeved t-shirt, paired with a blue flannel and jeans. He'd also pulled on a pair of slippers Jazz had gotten him last year as a gag gift, as the heat had been off all day while no one was home and the house was still warming up. His winter boots were currently on his human form so he didn't really have any other options if he didn't want to lose a toe to hypothermia. At the very least, the upstairs was warmer than the downstairs.

Speaking of no one being home, Jazz was off at college for the time being. She was supposed to be home around the holidays during her break, but she said she had some things to do before coming home. And so, there was no Jazz around. Danny's parents, on the other hand, were out on a date night. Ever since Dad had forgotten their anniversary for the 19th year in a row, they had started taking more time for themselves. Danny was happy that they had started to get closer, even if he still cringed whenever they kissed. What could he say? He might be 16 but he's still allowed to be immature, at times.

Danny broke out of his thoughts and looked over at the clock. 10 pm. Already he could feel sleep pricking at his eyelids. He'd been up since 5 am, trying to cram a bit more before heading to school. One part of Danny was itching to get up and grab his entire hoard of blankets from the hallway closet to cuddle up in, and the other was sure he'd end up falling asleep if he did so. After a few minutes of mental debate, Danny decided on a compromise between the two.

Danny grabbed his favorite blanket -it was weighted and navy blue- and put it over his shoulders before heading downstairs. His growling stomach was what had really convinced him. As he descended the stairs Danny was very glad he'd grabbed the blanket, the air got even more frigid as he descended. Sure, the cold couldn't really harm him in ghost form, but that doesn't mean it was entirely pleasant. He still got flashbacks to when his ice powers were manifesting and he'd almost frozen himself from the inside out. The halfa also realized something odd, as he descended those stairs in the way he had thousands of times. He'd never really just existed in his ghost form, had he? The only times he was ever in it he was always ectoblasting this and freezing that. He'd never just hung out. The train of thought also made Danny think of something else, and he grinned before lifting his feet off the ground.

Now, Danny had flown hundreds of times. Maybe even thousands! But just the wonder of having no stress, of just floating. With a whoop Danny dove over the banister, keeping close to the ceiling where it was warmer as he went about the kitchen making some mac and cheese. First, he grabbed a pan from one of the bottom cupboards and started filling with water, using a bit of energy to suspend the pan in the air and watching with childlike glee as the water sloshed around when he turned it side to side. It almost overflowed, Danny was so mesmerized, but he noticed right before it did and shut the water off. Still levitating it, he put the pan on the burner and turned it on. From there Danny had a bright idea and left the water to boil. He floated gently upwards and effortlessly sat on the top of the fridge. He had to wipe off some dust with the sleeve of his shirt but it wasn't too bad.

Danny pulled the blanket tighter around him and held his hands out in front of him, pulling on his core. The way he did it was very similar to when he transformed, but... different. Following the tug came a rush of cold that began to emanate from inside him, cooling the air nearby further. It made Danny shiver and his breath fogged for a moment but it was not entirely unpleasant, like the cold that permeated Fenton works. No, it was more... calm. It was like going swimming in a lake on a summer day instead of falling into it in the middle of winter. It made the normal cold a bit more bearable, too.

Danny's icy abilities came to the forefront and from there they were as easy to use as his ectoblasts usually were, and he generated the energy in the same way as it gathered into a very small, crystalline shape between his palms. Danny beamed at his own work as he saw it take shape. With a tad bit more focus the three more crystals formed, and soon a dainty snowflake had been formed in Danny's pale palms. It'd been forever since Danny'd had a free moment as Phantom to make icy stuff. The last time he'd had a chance was when he was going through that crash course with Frostbite. Soon Danny was spaced out, making more and more snowflakes, each with a new shape. It was in the midst of this that Danny had a bright idea. He didn't have much in the way of money -ghost hunting doesn't pay, after all- but what would be a better gift than a personalized snowflake? He could even make them into ornaments! They wouldn't melt, after all. How had he not thought of that before? Though he might want to get his parents something else. Didn't want them looking a bit too closely. Hm. He'd think about that more later.

Just as Danny made the decision the sound of water boiling brought him back to the present. Still carrying his blanket on his shoulders, Danny added in the macaroni noodles. He turned the heat down slightly too and debated with himself on where to set up next. He was a bit tired of sitting on the fridge now and wanted to sit somewhere else weird, just for the hell of it. His first thoughts were above the cabinets, but there wasn't enough space. Suddenly Danny remembered a Spiderman comic he'd read forever ago and found himself floating up towards the ceiling.

With a small bit of trepidation, Danny flipped upside down. Almost immediately he laughed, looking around at the kitchen to see how different it all looked. Somehow the blood wasn't all rushing to Danny's head -probably a ghost thing- and he found himself "sitting" on the ceiling in one corner of the room. He had to fuss with his blanket and put it relatively underneath him because it was still obeying the laws of gravity, as were his hair and clothes which made him ditch his flannel and tuck his shirt into his pants before getting down to business, starting with an ornament for Tucker.

Danny had gotten through ornaments for Tucker and was halfway through Sam's before he finally noticed the bubbling water. With a grimace he managed to right himself, making his head spin, and his blanket dropped to the floor as he rushed to stir the macaroni.

"Oh heck," He said under his breath. Half the noodles were burnt to the bottom of the pan and some of the water had boiled over and was sitting on the stovetop. Danny quickly moved the pan to another burner, shutting off the one he'd been using, and found a towel to use to wipe away the water. Danny half-smiled as he retrieved it. He usually had to get a stool to get the towels from the cabinet they were kept in. But ghost powers eliminated that need. God, his live was weird. But at least it had its perks at times. Soon the water was wiped up -towel hung over the oven door handle- and freshly-drained noodles were sitting on the stove. Still not letting his feet touch the ground, Danny added in the cheese, butter, and milk. Soon he was sat on- er, floating right above- the couch, blanket draped over his lap.

The macaroni was a bit too soft and kinda mushy, but it still tasted the same. For 15 minutes or so Danny ate. He floated down to the lab to check on his suit but the goo was only partially gone so he had to put it in again. And so Danny returned to the couch, watching whatever reruns he could find on the TV. He couldn't see it very well, though, because the only light he had on was a lamp and his glow was causing a glare so he couldn't see much of what was happening. It was aggravating but he couldn't do much about it. After only a short while Danny got really bored, but he couldn't really get his phone out. It was on his human form, same as his boots. And if he accidentally changed back he didn't know when his next chance would be to wash his suit, because it would disappear alongside his ghost form. Danny's laptop was a pretty good alternative, but it was upstairs and he just honestly didn't want to get up. 

The house was beginning to warm up, and with his blanket, Danny was comfy and toasty under the covers. He messed around with making a few more ornaments in a bit to stay awake, but eventually they were all just spread out over the couch and coffee table. He put Jazz's on the tree -floating it over there- but otherwise they were scattered around him. The warmth started to get to Danny, making him drowsy. He tried his very best to stay awake, even changing the channel in an attempt to keep his attention focused, but nothing worked.

A half-hour later the washer beeped with no one to hear it, and the front door opened.


	2. Fright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maddie and Jack return from their date night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight changes were made to the first chapter prior to this one, mostly just changing the time from Halloween to Christmas.
> 
> Enjoy!

Maddie and Jack had a pleasant evening. They went out to eat and even brought home leftovers. They’d been getting together a lot better since they started having 'date nights,' time to just get away from the house and lab and just focus on themselves. They hadn’t really had much of a chance, it seemed, since the day Jazz was born. And even more so after Danny. It was always about the kids, and they were glad Jazz and Danny were finally old enough that they could have the chance to just go out for the night without having to worry about babysitters. Of course, Danny was 16 and hadn’t needed a babysitter for a few years, but he was always getting in trouble and they didn’t feel right leaving him at home.

But the past month Danny had been doing better and better. He didn’t miss school as often, and his attendance was still shoddy but it was  _ improving _ . And even his grades had gone up, from C’s and D’s to B’s, except for Gym. How he managed to perform so poorly, Maddie would never know.

She and Jack had been doing better as well, specifically since they’d formed a truce with Phantom. She certainly didn’t trust the ghost, but things had improved. They gave him a chance, and he explained just about everything they could think of. It seemed a bit  _ too _ practiced, which was why Maddie wasn’t entirely comfortable with him yet. But they didn’t attack him, and he didn’t attack them. It was much better than getting up at all hours of the night because their scanners had latched onto him. He never came closer to the house than a mile, though. He was only caught on the other sensors they had around town, mostly at places that had hired them for their services, so they could show up if the detected activity. But he never got close enough to set off the ones they had stationed at home, it seemed.

It was because of this that Maddie didn’t immediately pull out her ectogun when she and Jack walked through the door and found an intruder laying on their couch, in their son’s clothes no less! He had on a long-sleeved, red shirt Danny got from the year he played baseball in middle school, and Maddie knew that if she got a look at his back she would see the name 'Fenton' plastered across it.

“What the hell!” Maddie shouted as soon as they’d stepped in the door. Jack came in behind her, toting boxes carrying their leftovers, and she could swear she heard his jaw drop. The ghost didn’t wake with her shout, instead just muttering something under his breath and curling in further to  _ their son’s blanket. _ Where the heck was Danny, anyway? Was he hiding away from the ghost upstairs? Maddie darted forward into the living room and caught sight of the mess Phantom had made. There was an empty bowl sitting on the coffee table, and the TV was playing in the background. There were snowflakes everywhere, strewn across every surface. Without hesitation she picked one up, only to find the name ‘Tucker' carved into the center of it. She picked up another one, and another, finding the names ‘Sam,’ ‘Danielle,’ and even one that said ‘Vlad.’ Those just introduced another pile of questions, especially when she noticed one in which the word ‘Mom’ was engraved.

“Wake up!” Maddie shouted, nearing Phantom and cuffing the ghost on the ear.

“Hey! Mom!” He complained groggily.

“You could’ve just shook me or something. No need to yell.” Phantom looked straight at her, green blazing as usual. Their eyes met and his gaze didn’t waver in the slightest, he just flipped over and buried his face in the couch cushions yet again. The audacity! Maddie looked over at Jack and he seemed just as surprised.

“Phantom, I have no idea what you’re doing here but you need to get the hell out of our house,” Jack said, voice low and gruff. It was almost the exact same tone he used when Danny was in trouble. ‘ _ Danny. Where’s Danny?  _ '

Phantom froze as soon as the first word left Jack’s mouth, Maddie could see him visibly stiffen underneath the blankets. He untangled his hand from the covers and stared at it for a solid five seconds. A five seconds in which Maddie could feel her blood beginning to boil. When Phantom didn’t reply right away she huffed and turned to Jack.

“I’m gonna go check on Danny.” She said, and Jack nodded in response. With that, she thundered up the stairs, ignoring Phantom’s call of “Wait!” as she ascended. Maddie heard Jack’s voice rumbling through the house as she made her way to the second floor. Her heart was thundering against her ribs, and she felt about half-sick. How long had that ghost been in her house, in her home? They might have an agreement but that did not give him the right to just break in whenever he felt like it!

Danny’s door stood wide open, and within moments Maddie could see that her son was nowhere to be found. She checked his closet, and even under his bed. She expanded the search to every single room on the floor, but he didn’t appear. He wasn’t in the bathroom, either, as the door was open. Neither was he in the master bath, the one connected to her’s and Jack’s bedroom. A new wave of fury washed over Maddie and she rushed down the stairs, seeing a stuttering Phantom still sitting on the couch.

“I- sorry, I just-” He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence as Maddie interrupted.

“What did you do with our son? He isn’t here!” Truce being the furthest thing from her mind, Maddie didn’t hesitate in drawing her gun. Phantom had turned from an intruder to a suspect. And if he did  _ anything _ to Danny, she wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger of the ectogun aimed at his skull.

Phantom gaped like a fish, and stuck a finger up.

“Wait one moment,  _ please.  _ Danny wasn’t here when I showed up, I swear! My suit got dirty and I didn’t have any other option, I don’t have any other clothes! But I figured you must have some way to clean your own suits. I fully intended to put this stuff right back! I’m sorry for the mess, but I didn’t mean to fall asleep, you weren’t even supposed to know I was here!” Oh, that was the wrong thing to say. It seemed Phantom knew it too, as his face paled even further than his normal light complexion as soon as the sentence left his mouth.

“How many other times have you broken into our house? And what exactly are you doing with snowflakes that have the names of Danny’s friends on them?” Because in no way was Maddie going to forget  _ that _ detail. That shut Phantom up. A hundred thoughts seemed to run through his mind in that one moment.

“I’m friends with Danny, okay? These were supposed to be Christmas presents. I made them while I was waiting.” Phantom’s voice shook as he spoke, and his gaze was locked onto the barrel of Maddie’s gun. She didn’t waver, even as the thoughts tumbled through her head. The story added up, but it added up almost too well. Maddie studied Phantom intently, and as she finally got a good look at his face she felt her stomach drop. The nose, the brows, even the hairstyle. Why had she never seen it? Never noticed?

“Why do you look so much like our son?” Her voice wavered like it hadn’t before. She had a sneaking suspicion that she really hoped wasn’t correct. There had to be a reason why Phantom had modeled his appearance so closely to Danny. It was well-known that ghosts could change their appearance, to a degree. Not for the first time that night Phantom was surprised. But then suddenly his shoulders released all of their tension, and he dropped his hands from where he’d been holding them into the air to his lap. 

“Please put down the gun,” He said, green eyes wide and pleading.

“I promise I won’t go anywhere. I’ve put off this conversation long enough.” Phantom sounded genuine, but Maddie wasn’t going to take her eyes off of him. 

“What do you think Jack?” She asked. 

“Let’s hear him out, Mads.” He replied, and that was all she needed to hear. As bumbling as Jack may be, she trusted him. Maddie dropped the gun to her side but didn’t holster it.

“I reckon that’s the best I’m gonna get, huh?” Phantom pulled the blanket -Danny’s blanket- up onto his shoulders. It made Maddie unsettled but she wasn’t going to say anything.

“Explain.” She ordered. Phantom flinched at the harsh words.

“Um, remember when you were building the portal? And it didn’t work right away?” Phantom picked at a bare thread on the blanket.

“You didn’t start showing up before the portal was opened, how did you know about that?” It was likely he’d heard it from Danny, if they were truly ‘friends,’ but she wanted to hear it straight from his mouth.

“I’ve been... around for a while.” Phantom trailed off. Jack sat down in the recliner, setting their to-go boxes on the coffee table, pushing aside a snowflake or two.

“So- Danny and his friends went down to the lab while you were gone. They knew they weren’t supposed to but they were curious! But uh Danny… might have gone inside?” Phantom stopped again, brows furrowed in thought. Maddie didn’t want to interrupt him, even though this seemingly had nothing to do with why Phantom was so focused on Danny.

“He tripped when he went inside, and he pressed the on button. While he was inside. While  _ I _ was inside.” It took a moment for the words to connect in Maddie’s head, but even then she couldn’t sort out their meaning. Was Phantom exploring the portal when Danny went in? After it starting up with him inside Danny should be  _ dead _ -

Oh.

Phantom called her  _ Mom _ .

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but the ghosts started showing up and you were so busy, and everything just snowballed and I was afraid you would shoot first and ask questions later.” Phantom curled back into himself, and Maddie barely had time to collapse on the couch next to him before there was a flash of light. The ectogun lay forgotten, clattering to the floor in Maddie’s wake.

In but a moment Phantom disappeared, with another figure left in his stead. White locks darkened to black, and the green in his eyes melted away to reveal those blue orbs she had loved since the first time she saw them. Even the clothing changed, revealing feet clad in winter boots and a coat now draped over his form underneath the blanket. Pieces clicked in Maddie’s mind that she didn’t want to, and her mind dredged up memories from long ago that she had simply explained away. Explanation. That was what she needed. But ‘how’ was not the first thing to come to her lips when she next spoke.

“Why?” She said simply, the weight of the situation suddenly pressing down on her from every side. Phantom-  _ Danny _ bit his lip and wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“I was scared. For months I was just so confused about what was going on with me, and I had Sam and Tucker to fall back on when I needed it. Then Jazz found out and she helped too. I was fine, I was managing. It was rough but I didn’t want you to get involved, I didn’t want you to see how I changed. I just wanted you to see me as your kid.”

“I didn’t mean to be half-ghost.” He said, tears in his eyes and lip wobbling. He took a sharp breath, voice warbling with every word he said.

“Do you still love me?” He asked, simply. But the words held meaning to them that Maddie could barely even begin to comprehend. He still wouldn’t meet her eyes.

Almost without thinking, Maddie found herself wrapping her arms around Danny, around her child. She held him close to her chest as sobs wracked his frail form. He didn’t return the hug, simply existing in her embrace.

“I could never stop loving you Danny,” She could feel him hold his breath, hanging on every word.

“It doesn’t matter, I don’t care about that. You’re still my Danny, and nothing could ever change that. Even if you’re whatever a half-ghost is.” Oh, how glad she was to hear that she hadn’t killed her baby, that he hadn’t died in an invention of her own creation. At least, not all the way. She ran a hand through his hair and that seemed to finally make him cave. With a strength she didn’t know he possessed Danny wrapped his arms around her waist, clinging onto her as though for dear life. And maybe… maybe it was. The moment was sweetened when Jack joined the embrace on Danny’s other side, and Maddie could feel tears drip onto her shoulder that didn’t belong to the teenager curled up against her.“I’m proud of you, Danno.” He said simply, and Danny’s cries started up again, breath hitching. He shifted, having one arm around each of his parents. They sat there for a moment, letting Danny simply have his time, take what he needed. A small doubt lingered in the back of Maddie’s mind. A voice that was telling her this was all a manipulation, that Phantom and Danny weren’t truly one and the same.

She squashed it like a cockroach.

“What do you say to some fudge?” Jack asked, pulling away. Danny looked up at him, cheeks stained with tears and eyes red.

“It always helps me after a good cry.” That finally broke Danny, and he started laughing. His loud guffaws were music to Maddie’s ears, especially when it broke down into snorts. This was her Danny. Not the one from the past few years who was always looking over his shoulder, and always seemed to have a dark cloud hovering behind him. It seemed that the clouds had finally gone, chased away by the brightness of her son’s smile.

Guilt was already welling up in her gut, but she pushed it down for the moment. One heartfelt conversion a night was good enough for her. And besides, Jack was already breaking out the chocolate fudge, the kind he kept for special occasions. And Danny trailed behind him, blanket still draped over his shoulders and making him look even younger than he was. Wow, 16 already.

They grow up so fast.


End file.
